Written Answers

Wednesday 6 December 2000

Scottish Executive

Autism

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6888 by Susan Deacon on 2 June 2000, whether any research proposals which were not of a sufficiently high standard involved research into autism.

Susan Deacon: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department is the main departmental funder of NHS-related research. To date the CSO has not received any proposals for research into autistic spectrum disorders, but it would be prepared to consider suitable research applications in the future.

Body Piercing

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for its consultation exercise on the regulation of the skin piercing industry.

Malcolm Chisholm: A consultation paper will be issued widely to local authorities, public health interests, representatives of the skin piercing industry and others by the end of 2000.

  In the normal way, a 12-week period will be allowed for responses, in the light of which the Executive will consider whether any further action is necessary.

Council Tax

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of collecting the council tax has been in each of the last two years in both absolute terms and as a percentage of the revenue raised.

Peter Peacock: In 1999-2000, the net expenditure (provisional outturn) relating to the collection of the council tax and outstanding community charge (excluding the administration of council tax benefit and community charge rebates) by local authorities in Scotland was £33.8 million.

  The equivalent net expenditure for 1998-99 was £32.0 million.

  These figures represent 3% of council tax and community charge receipts received in these years, regardless of the year of billing.

Dental Care

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what postgraduate education facilities there are in Scotland for dentists.

Susan Deacon: All regions in Scotland have specific facilities for postgraduate dental education as listed below:

  Raigmore Hospital

  Forresterhill Hospital

  Dundee Dental School

  Edinburgh Postgraduate Dental Institute

  West of Scotland Centre for Postgraduate Dental Education (Glasgow Dental Hospital)

  In addition, dentists have access to general postgraduate centres in District General Hospitals in places such as Fort William and Borders. Postgraduate dental training takes place in general practices, community hospitals and acute hospitals.

Dental Care

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any concerns amongst dentists about the funding and provision of verifiable courses necessary for continuing professional development and what measures are being taken to address any such concerns.

Susan Deacon: The Dental Action Plan , published recently, proposed that the availability of postgraduate education for General Dental Practitioners (GDPs) be increased through additional sessions incorporating sessions for audit and research. The Scottish Executive monitor the demand for and the provision of courses via the Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education (SCPMDE).

Dental Care

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the creation of a postgraduate dental education centre in Dundee.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive understands that a project proposing the creation of a postgraduate dental education centre in Dundee will be included in the Tayside Health Board Capital Planning proposals for the coming year. This proposal will be assessed against other bids at the appropriate time.

Energy

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken or plans to undertake any studies into the impact of opencast mines on national energy strategy.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Energy policy is a reserved matter. The Scottish Executive has no plans to study the impact of opencast mines on national energy strategy.

Enterprise

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the review of the enterprise networks.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The interim conclusions of the Review of Enterprise Networks in Scotland were announced to Parliament on 6 July. On 6 November I hosted a major conference to discuss progress and listen to the views of key players in the field of economic development. As a result:

  Draft guidelines on Local Economic Forums have been published today on the Scottish Executive website. These are also available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre and have been issued to a large number of bodies and organisations. Consultation on the guidelines will run until 31 January 2001 and views and comments are welcome.

  I have decided that Local Enterprise Companies will become wholly owned subsidiaries of either Scottish Enterprise or Highlands and Islands Enterprise in the next financial year. This will build on improvements in network effectiveness and efficiency and bolster transparency and accountability across the LEC network.

  Both of these initiatives are included in my response to the ELL Committee report following its inquiry into local economic development. This is also available today on the Scottish Executive website and in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Flood Prevention

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has given or plans to give to local authorities regarding applying for flood prevention grants.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Advice on flood prevention grants is given to councils on a scheme-by-scheme basis. When a flood prevention scheme is confirmed by Scottish Ministers under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961, advice is issued to the council concerned on the grant application procedures. Among other things, this advice covers design standards, the need to consider environmental issues and cost benefit requirements.

Flood Prevention

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used in awarding flood prevention grants to local authorities.

Mr Sam Galbraith: To be eligible for grant, flood prevention schemes must first be confirmed by Scottish Ministers under the provisions of the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961. In addition, councils must demonstrate value for money by submitting an investment appraisal in which costs should not exceed benefits.

Health

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any research results available, or whether any research has been commissioned, concerning the effects of fluoridation on combination therapy for the treatment of HIV.

Susan Deacon: The Executive is not aware of any research on this particular issue.

Nursing

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate any shortage of trained nurses.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive assesses the supply and demand for qualified nurses and midwives every year through the Student Nurse Intake Planning (SNIP) process, which informs the intakes to Executive-funded pre-registration nursing and midwifery education.

  Recruitment and retention of staff is principally a matter for individual NHS Trusts but the Scottish Executive has taken additional action in particular areas, for example through the current specialist nurse initiative.

Police

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions the Minister for Justice has had with Chief Constables with regard to protecting elderly people from physical attacks.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have had no recent discussions with Chief Constables regarding physical attacks on elderly people.

Police

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will increase the number of police in areas of Glasgow where refugees have been placed.

Mr Jim Wallace: Decisions on the numbers and deployment of police officers are entirely operational matters for the Chief Constable.

Residential Care

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many places in geriatric care establishments and wards are not filled, broken down by health board.

Malcolm Chisholm: Figures on unfilled places are not available. The following tables detail the latest available figures on occupancy rates in geriatric medicine, in private nursing homes and in residential care homes for older people. The figures in table 1 represent averages for the quarter January to March 2000 and do not represent occupancy, and hence empty beds, on any given day. Figures in tables 2 and 3 represent a "snap shot" on 31 March and do not necessarily reflect the position at present.

  Hospital figures do not include geriatric patients treated in other specialties. In addition, residents of private nursing homes will not be exclusively geriatric patients, but the majority (92.2%) are aged 65 or over.

  Bed availability in nursing and residential homes may be dependent on particular funding sources. Bed complement figures in nursing homes do not take account of staff availability, and therefore all vacant beds may not be available.

  Table 1: NHSiS - Average available/occupied beds; geriatric medicine; quarter ending 31 March 20001

  


Health Board Area


Geriatric medicine
(units other than 
long stay)


Geriatric medicine
(in long stay unit)




Average
Available
Beds


Average
Occupied
Beds


%
Occupancy


Average
Available
Beds


Average
Occupied
Beds


%
Occupancy






Scotland


3,608


3,351


93%


4,361


3,758


86%




Argyll & Clyde


 365


 349


96%


 518


 475


92%




Ayrshire & Arran


 276


 259


94%


 320


 293


91%




Borders


 75


 65


86%


 107


 57


53%




Dumfries & Galloway


 50


 47


95%


 142


 116


82%




Fife


 150


 145


96%


 294


 278


95%




Forth Valley


 224


 222


99%


 280


 261


93%




Grampian


 226


 211


93%


 434


 349


80%




Greater Glasgow


 891


 813


91%


 837


 745


89%




Highland


 103


 91


88%


 127


 73


58%




Lanarkshire


 309


 268


87%


 447


 377


84%




Lothian


 670


 642


96%


 450


 382


85%




Orkney


-


-


-


-


-


-




Shetland


 4


 4


100%


 36


 28


78%




Tayside


 239


 215


90%


 362


 317


88%




Western Isles


 27


 20


76%


 8


 7


92%




  Source: ISD Scotland (Form ISD(S)1).

  Notes:

  1. Includes information on NHS patients treated in joint-user and contractual hospitals.

  Table 2: Private Nursing Homes1 in Scotland at 31 March 20002

  


Health Board Area


Bed complement


Residents


% Occupancy




Scotland


22,950


19,905


87%




Argyll & Clyde


1,347


1,217


90%




Ayrshire & Arran


2,264


1,806


80%




Borders


604


486


80%




Dumfries & Galloway


532


401


75%




Fife


1,376


1,213


88%




Forth Valley


1,275


1,068


84%




Grampian


2,548


2,049


80%




Greater Glasgow


3,794


3,445


91%




Highland


1,086


839


77%




Lanarkshire


2,533


2,308


91%




Lothian


3,570


3,232


91%




Orkney


-


-


-




Shetland


-


-


-




Tayside


1,956


1,779


91%




Western Isles


65


62


95%




  Source: ISD Scotland, ISD(S)34.

  Notes:

  1. Private Nursing Homes subject to the Nursing Homes Registration (Scotland) Act 1938 (as amended), or the Mental Health Act 1960/1984. It also includes a few "other" establishments, e.g. hospices registered under the Act.

  2. The figures shown are based on information supplied by nursing homes at the end of the financial year. It is understood from health boards that a small number of other nursing homes, registered in Scotland, have not been able to provide the information requested. Data from these nursing homes, around 30 in total, and data from private hospitals also registered under the Acts, are not included in the table.

  Table 3: Residential Care Homes for Older People, 31 March 1999

  


Health Board Area


Beds


Residents


Percentage Occupancy




Scotland


16,300


14,220


87%




Argyll & Clyde


1,558


1,341


86%




Ayrshire & Arran


1,166


941


81%




Borders


459


402


88%




Dumfries & Galloway


716


615


86%




Fife


958


881


92%




Forth Valley


728


669


92%




Grampian


1,638


1,485


91%




Greater Glasgow


2,524


2,270


90%




Highland


975


837


86%




Lanarkshire


1062


897


84%




Lothian


2,218


1,972


89%




Orkney


104


96


92%




Shetland


144


113


78%




Tayside


1,855


1,542


83%




Western Isles


195


159


82%




  Source: SEHD Community Care Statistics, R1 Return.

Scottish Executive Publications

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs were of the publication, launch and distribution of its document A toast to the future – working together for Scotch whisky .

Ms Wendy Alexander: Total cost for the publication, launch and distribution of A toast to the future is £3,533.20. This cost is shared between the Scottish Executive and the Scotch Whisky Association at £1,766.60 each.

Single European Currency

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding for NHSiS preparations for possible entry to a single European currency will be expected to come from existing health board budgets.

Susan Deacon: Each health body in Scotland has been expected to prepare a plan demonstrating how they will convert to the euro. The resources used to do this are expected to have been met from their current funding.

Single European Currency

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will introduce to facilitate health boards’ adaptation to operating within a single European currency.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive Health Department has issued guidance to the NHS in Scotland on how to plan for the conversion to the euro.

Single European Currency

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been spent by the NHSiS in anticipation of possible entry to a single European currency.

Susan Deacon: The NHS in Scotland is carrying out a measure of pre-planning for the possible introduction of the euro as set out in HM Treasury’s Second Outline National Changeover Plan published on 9 March 2000. The costs of this exercise are minimal and have been met from current year funds.

Single European Currency

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will estimate how many jobs have been lost in the past year as a result of the declining value of the euro against sterling and what percentage any such losses represent of lost jobs in each sector of the manufacturing industry.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Changes in manufacturing employment reflect a range of factors, of which exchange rate fluctuations are only one. Data from the Civilian Workforce Jobs series show that there were 289,000 employee jobs within manufacturing in June 2000, a fall of 12,000 from the same period the previous year. Data are not available for individual manufacturing sectors.

  The Executive understands the concerns of businesses, and particularly manufacturers trading with Europe, about the value of the exchange rate. However manufacturers are well placed to benefit from the positive domestic and global economic outlook, with recent business surveys indicating that manufacturers expect higher demand and increased export orders over the coming months.

  The Executive is committed to supporting manufacturing in Scotland, as outlined in our publication Created in Scotland – The Way Forward for Manufacturing in the 21st Century and the Scottish Executive’s Framework for Economic Development aims to secure economic growth over the longer term by promoting action on policies to boost competitiveness.